Oct. 15, 2010

Bradley Classic Team Results | Individual Results

PEORIA, Ill. - The Fighting Illini men's cross-country `B' team took fourth at the Bradley Classic on Friday in Peoria, Ill. The Orange and Blue finished with an overall team score of 165 points, led by sophomore Jordan Hebert who ran a personal-best 8K time of 24:28, which is 56 seconds faster than his previous best.

"I was really pleased with [Hebert's] race. It's definitely a sign that things are going in the right direction for him," head coach Wendel McRaven said. "He might have gone out a little too aggressively early on, but he hung on. We knew he had good stuff in him, it's just a matter of putting it together and he definitely did that today."

Hebert finished ninth overall, followed by junior Kyle Engnell who clocked a personal-best 8K time of 24:38 and came in 12th overall. Sophomore Hunter Mickow made his season debut, finishing third for Illinois and 41st overall in 25:13. Rounding out Illini scoring was sophomore Tom Achtien and senior Mike Murray, who finished 51st (25:25) and 60th (25:34), respectively. Freshman Drew Bell also competed for the Orange and Blue, finishing with a time of 26:31.

"I felt like it was a breakthrough for [Hebert and Engnell], not just physically but mentally as well," said McRaven. "They went out harder and faster than they ever had for the first mile and they kept grinding and battling all the way to the finish. It was a really good mental breakthrough for them."

Matthew Graham from DePaul took the individual crown with a time of 23:38, and Iowa won the overall team title with 67 points.

The Illinois `A' team is set to compete tomorrow at Pre-Nationals in Terre Haute, Ind. The Orange and Blue will next host the Illini Open on Friday, Oct. 22 at the UI Arboretum.

ILLINOIS RESULTS
9. Jordan Hebert 24:28
12. Kyle Engnell 24:38
41. Hunter Mickow 25:13
51. Tom Achtien 25:25
60. Mike Murray 25:34
130. Drew Bell 26:31

TEAM RESULTS (Top 10)
1. Iowa 67
2. SIU 105
3. Iowa State `B' 143
4. ILLINOIS `B' 165
5. UNI 168
6. Missouri 193
7. Drake 214
8. Illinois State 223
9. SEMO 242
10. DePaul 266